Arch Manning is taking over at Texas. See what to expect from the Longhorns’ offense, defense, and playoff hopes heading into the 2026 season.
Arch Manning Era Begins in Austin
Arch Manning is finally the starting quarterback at the University of Texas and Steve Sarkisian likely can’t wait to let the young bull loose. It was pretty obvious last season whenever he got into the game there was a pop from the team in both excitement and play.
When Arch first hit the field last season, the team was up 38-0 against Colorado State in what normally would be a ‘burn the clock and coast to the win without injuries’ situation, but when Arch stepped onto the grass, the energy was palpable. The first play he rolls out right and hits Johntay Cook for a 40 yard gain. Then two plays later, he scrambles and finds Silas Bolden with a sneaky shovel pass for the touchdown – all in a little over 90 seconds game time. This was his second time ever stepping on a live college playing field, and it was pure electricity.
Sure, there were definitely times during Ewers’ injury when he got the start and seemed to force things, but, I saw that more as him trying to make the most of his opportunity. It takes time and reps with your guys to get an offense down and getting a spot start is not always an easy feat. There were plenty of times when things broke down, he would prematurely scramble or try and force a deep ball due to his inexperience , but when he has a better understanding of the offense, and timing with his receivers, it will be a night and day difference for how well he can play.
Texas Offensive Preview
Ryan Wingo is going to make a name for himself. He may not have had the freshman season Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams had last year, but I think he very much deserves to be considered one of the best wide receivers in the country with the tape he did put up. Listed at 6’2 215lbs, Wingo might have been the fastest guy on the team last year. Which is saying a lot considering 3 starters from last year’s offense ran sub 4.4’s at the combine. When he was asked to make a big play, he did, every time. I expect Wingo to not only establish himself as the defacto #1 on the team, but also make waves and set himself on the national scene as one of the best in the country.
The Longhorns also bring back Deandre Moore and redshirt freshmen receivers Aaron Bulter and Parker Livingstone this season. Though they lost Johntay Cook to the transfer portal, they brought in a slew of quality depth at that position in 5-star freshman Kaliq Lockett, and 4-star freshmen Jamie Ffrench and Dylan McCutcheon. There was also a report of Stanford receiver Emmit Mosley transferring to Austin, but I have yet to see him listed on an official depth chart. Moore excelled as a slot specialist last season, tying for second on the team in total TD receptions with 7 of his own. I think he has all the tools to really take the next step this year and get more opportunities complimenting Wingo, and it will be interesting to see which of the freshmen are able to break away from the herd and earn playing time in Sark’s offense.
At running back, last year’s breakout Quintrevion Wisner returns as the lead guy this year but he also will certainly share snaps with CJ Baxter, who’s returning from his second injury in 3 years. Promising sophomore Jerrick Gibson also returns, and I think Gibson might be the best between the tackles runner on the team.
With the Titans selecting Gunnar Helm in this year’s draft, there will be a new crew taking over the Tight End position. I’m excited to watch Jordan Washington as TE1, being the first freshman to lead that position group in the Sarkisian era.
Longhorns’ Defensive Outlook
Collin Simmons is back with a season of experience under his belt, ready to reek havoc with his mate on the other end, Ethan Burke. Simmons broke out as a true freshman and established himself as a top player on the Texas defense, leading the team in sacks (9) and finishing top-10 in total tackles. Senior Trey Moore will transition to yet another new role moving back off the line to outside linebacker. Moore already knows how to rush the pass, but if he is able to develop as a defender in coverage, he could be a key to taking this defense to another level.
All-American linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is poised for not only another stellar season with the Longhorns, having led the team in solo tackles last year with 59 of his own, but he’s looking to evolve as a team leader as well. The college football world expects nothing but big things from No. 0 this upcoming season.
In the secondary, the team saw Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron get drafted by Denver in the first round, but I think second year starter Malik Muhammad will certainly improve on last year’s play and take advantage of the new CB1 role. Outside of him, the Longhorns will need to see some of their upperclassmen in the secondary step it up this year (Guilbeau, McDonald, Johnson-Rubell) or hope some of the new blood coming in can bring a spark to the position. Michael Taaffe had an opportunity to enter the draft but ultimately returned for one more go at a National Championship, and having him return is huge. In my opinion, he is arguably one of the best college football walk-ons of all time and was a major piece in shoring up the backend of this defense last year. He brings the consistency, heart and veteran leadership needed in a championship defense.
2026 College Football Playoff Hopes
The 2026 national championship is firmly in the crosshairs of this Longhorns football team. The easy answer is: they’ll go as far as Arch can take them. But this defense is way too good to stop there. The offensive pieces are all there. They have the team to make waves and get back to the #1 ranking they held for multiple weeks last season.
The Longhorns face a tough road through the SEC, and their season opener won’t be any easier—a high-stakes rematch against reigning National Champions Ohio State. Still, Texas is built to contend. As one of the SEC’s premier programs, being projected favorites in over 80% of their schedule, the Longhorns have a clear path back to the College Football Playoff.
This year they look to build on their experiences from last season. If they can have more high-level consistency at the quarterback position and continue to have a dominant defense, they should not only be a lock for the playoff, but be one of the favorites to make the national championship.
